Tourist guides' convention Will try for IITTM campus in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar says Karad

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jul 10 (PTI) Efforts will be taken to start a campus of Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM) in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, former Union minister Bhagwat Karad said on Thursday.
The IITTM is an autonomous body under the Union Ministry of Tourism and it offers education, training, research and consultancy in sustainable management of tourism, travel and other allied sectors.
Karad was addressing the 26th annual convention of Tourist Guides Federation of India (TGFI) here.
"There are only seven centres of Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM) in the country and none of them are in Maharashtra. Efforts will be taken to get one centre of this institute in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar," the Rajya Sabha MP said.
Speaking on the occasion, TGFI national coordinator Ajay Singh sought government support for the sector, including the need for insurance for guides.
Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) president Ravi Gosain asked guides to explore and customize new packages and also use social media to publicize them instead of just relying on traditional routes.
Guides are soft diplomats of the country, the image of which depends on their work, Gosain asserted.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)